A vertical louver system is one form of window or door covering in which a series of vertical louvers are suspended from a vertical louver support system. A vertical louver system can be used across a window, door or other area and can be drawn like a drape so that it covers all, a portion, or none of the window area. When the vertical louvers are pulled across a window, they can be rotated about vertical axes to admit or exclude light.
Vertical louver systems can be used in many different ambient environments. However, when they are used in hot climates which provide strong solar loads, such as many desert regions, the individual louvers tend to warp or bend about a generally transverse axis. This is unsightly and can reduce the louver's effectiveness in excluding light and solar energy from the space in which they are used.
Hyman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,049,038 discloses a vertical louver system which includes a plastic panel, a backing sheet within the panel and a decorative member, such as wallpaper glued to the sheet. This construction does not provide adequate resistance to warping of the louvers, particularly when used in desert climates. Moreover, the affixing of the wallpaper to the sheet is accomplished with glue. This means that to change wallpaper, it is necessary to replace the backing sheet and the wallpaper thereby adding to the cost of redecorating.